Improvement in devices for locking-bolts



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' 1 1` 80 7 5 1119.1. PATENTE AUG 151871 -CDCDI CID W Jill/12751: 25m /MW/ZMJM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE GI-IATTERTON AND JAMES GHATTERTON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR LOCKING-BOLTS.

Speeiiieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,075, dated August 15, 1871.

To all whom item4; concern:

Be it known that l, SAMUEL VANsToNE, of North Providence, in the county oli' Providence and State ot' Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Device tor Fastening the Joints ot' Rails, ot which the following is a speeilieation, in connection with the armnnpanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a section ot the rail with the improved Yfastening applied. Figs. 2 and l are bolts used in the improved fastening. Fig. l is a see tional view ottwo tapering plates applied tothe same side ot' the rail. Fig. shows the outer surface of the fish-plate. Fig. o shows z` side view of the rail-joint with the improved tastenin g applied.

Experience has shown that when rails Iare tied by plates, fastened with bolts'and nuts, th e heavy strain and vibration caused by passing trains A so soon wears and loosens the bolt and nut that constant labor is required to replace and tighten them. rlhe object ot' my invention, therefore, is to avoid the use of nuts on the bolts or' rail-couplings,\vhicl1 are so easily turned by the vibration of the rails.

This I accomplish in the following manner: For each joint I have two tapering iisltplates, the reverse ends of each being thicker than the opposite ends, of proper length, and litting the curvature ot' the rail. One ot' these, having round holes ot' the size ot' the bolts, if applied to one side of the joint of the rails, and the other, having one or more round holes, and one or more key-hole slots, as in Fig. 5, is placed on the opposite side ot the joint. Bolts, as in Fig. 2, having a neck smaller than the shaft, and a shoulder at the end, or ot' any other equivalent ccnstruetion, are inserted through the holes in the iron plate, through corresponding holes drilled in the rails, and through the eyes ot' the keyhole slots in the opposite plate. This plate is then pushed up so as to bring the neel; ot the bolt within the jaws ot the key-hole slot and also one ot' the round holes opposite to the corresponding hole el.' the opposite plate and rail, the holes and slots being punched at proper distances or the purpose. rIhe bolt, as in Fig. 3, with the slot in the shaft, is then inserter rIhis bolt is oi" such length as to bring the slot through both plates,`where it is fastened by a eotter.

The advantage ot' the reverse tapering plates is that upon being pushed up, as above described, they serve as wedges to keep the rails YIirm and secure, and at the same time preserve the same thickness throughout for the bolts. The same result, however, may be aeerunplislual by using an ordinary pla-te on one side, with two reverse tapering plates, as in fl, on the opposite side, or one such plate arranged with wedge-lipped slots.

When these plates are new, the bolt, Fig. 3, should be put through the iirst hole, and then in ca se the plates, atter a time, wear away, the plates can be pushed up and the bolt put through the seeond hole, making the jointtight again, with a inoments labor and without expense. As the holes in the rails are usually oblong in shape, a sui'lioient provision will thus be made l'or expanA sion and contraction.

"What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The fastening oi" rail or other sinliilar iointsby means ot' the ta} ering plates, or the equivalent straight plates with the tapering slots, and bolts running into key-hole slots, in minbhiation with the single-slot bolt and cotter, substantially as described.

SAMUEL VANS'IONE. lVtnesscs CHARLES H. SMITH, PHILIP B. STiNEss, Jr. 

